Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2001, Page 105

109
Brachiopoda in the Faroe Islands area
Armfótingar (Brachiopoda) í føroyskum øki
Elsebeth Thomsen
Tromsø University Museum, Department of Geology, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
Phone: +47 776 45033, Fax: +47 776 45520, E-mail: elsebeth@imv.uit.no
Úrtak
Seks sløg av armfótingum (Brachipoda) vórðu funnin í
tilfari, savnað gjøgnum BIOFAR-verkætlanini: Crania
anomala (Miiller, 1776), Hemithiris psittacea (Gmelin,
1790) — ein tóm skel, Terebratulina retusa (Linne,
1758), Platidia anomioides (Scacchi and Philippi, 1844)
- nýtt slag fyri Føroyar, Dallina septigera (Loven,
1846) og Macandrevia cranium (Miiller, 1776). Allir
føroyskir armfótingar síla føði úr sjónum og sita á botn-
inum, ein:(C. anomala) er klistaður til legufast botntil-
far. H. psittacea undantikin, er bert eitt slag bundið til
eitt ávíst geografisk øki einamest á bankunum. Hetta
slagið undantikin, dýpi millum 200 og 500 metrar verða
tikin framum sum livistað. Tey flestu armfótingasløgini
koma bara fyri har Atlantssjógvur er (Atlantic Water:
hitin meira enn 7°C), eisini hevur biandingur av Atlants-
sjógvi og sjógvi norðaneftir (Arctic Intermediate Water;
hiti millum 3,5°og 7°) týdning, tó so at tey trívast best i
sjógvi heitari enn 6°. D. septigera tykist tola lágan hita
eisini og er tí einamest at finna í blandingini av Atlants-
sjógvi og sjógvi nordaneftir.
Abstract
Six brachiopod species have been recorded in the BIO-
FAR material: Crania anomala (Miiller, 1776),
Hemithiris psittacea (Gmelin, 1790) - one empty shell,
Terebratulina retusa (Linne, 1758), Platidia anomio-
ides (Scacchi & Philippi, 1844) - new to the area, Dal-
lina septigera (Loven, 1846) and Macandrevia cranium
(Miiller, 1776).
AU the Faroese brachiopods are epibenthic suspen-
sion feeders Iiving attached or cemented (C. anomala)
to firm substrates. Not including the record of H. psit-
tacea, only one species (P. anomioides) seems to be ge-
ographically restricted, occuring primarily at the banks.
With the exception of this species there is a general pref-
erence for depths between 200 and 500 m.
Most of the brachiopod species are confined to the
Atlantic Water (temperature above 7°C), but a mixture
of Atlantic Water and Arctic Intermediate Water (tem-
perature range 3.5-7°C) is also important. the species
however, showing a preference for temperatures above
6°C. D. septigera seems to tolerate lower temperatures
as well, and thus preferring a mixture of Atlantic Water
and Arctic Intermediate Water.
Previous investigations
The first record of brachiopods in the Faroe
area was published in 1786 by Nicolai Pe-
dersen Mohr in his major work ”Forsøg til
en Islandsk Naturhistorie, med adskillige
oekonomiske samt andre Anmærkninger".
According to Ehrencron-Miiller (1927),
Mohr was bom in Tórshavn, studied in
Copenhagen and travelled round the Faroes
in 1776-1778. In 1780 he was sent to Ice-
land by royal appointment to look for
kaolin for the newly established Royal
Porcelain Factory in Copenhagen. During
this expedition (1780-1781) he also de-
scribed the natural history of the areas he
visited; hence the aforementioned publica-
tion.
Fróðskaparrit 49. bók 2001: 109-126